A Desert Christmas 8 Years in the Making
by 8emmy
Summary: Maka is going home for the holidays. Her mom shocked how early her only daughter comes for Christmas is basically trying to force Maka to settle down. What will happen through out this story, you may ask? Well you have to read to find out!


**Hello Fanfic readers, **

**It is I, 8emmy. I am here with a Christmas themed story. I don't know if it will end up being two chapters or even more, so get on board and visit Maka and Soul like never before, or not. I don't know what I'm typing in this beginning thingy (Author Note that's what it is, hehe, I easily forget things). Anyways… if you have ideas you can review or even PM me. Don't worry that I don't hate being criticized I'm fine with any types of ideas, but I can't promise that I can do every idea. ****I will give anyone who does PM me or reviews any ideas a big shout out****. I am also thinking about making a twitter account named 8emmy, but I don't know yet I will update you if I decide to do it or not. So, I think that is enough rambling I'm going to leave you and write to you at the end.**

**~8emmy **

She stood in front of a pretty house. Instead of being surrounded by snow like Maka was before her flight to her home town, the house was surrounded by flowers and waves of heat that were visible with Maka's large green eyes. Oh, how she _missed_ Death City's hot winters. She wouldn't have come all the way from New York if her mother hadn't kept calling and guilt tripping her to visit her poor, old, lonely mother who (doesn't) have one foot in the grave. Maka had to take a two week vacation from her law firm, missing about four cases and was given a stern look by her boss. She hoped that this Christmas was worth it, and her mother better be happy.

She pulled down her sunglasses, trying her best not to damage her eyes as she made her way up the sidewalk and towards the bright red painted door. Last time she saw this door (which had to be eight years) the door she slammed shut had to be the colour of dark blue, a calming yet saddening, dark blue. Maka had disliked that door from the moment her mom had opened the can with a smirk. It was awful and she made sure her mother knew how much she disliked it, but her mother didn't budge. She said that her yoga instructor/therapist/guru/interior designer friend told her that the blue would bring love and peace to the house. It didn't for Maka at least, it gave her a headache even though it was better than that statue of—Maka had no idea what it was supposed to be, but her mother seemed to like it very much and told her it fights bad voodoo and bad luck from anyone who passes it; another stupid suggestion by that friend. It, from what Maka can remember was a small human looking thing with many arms holding what looked like wooden spears in almost all of its hands. Hopefully she through that thing out when she painted the door, but her mother was a person that will surprise you. You never can fully expect what she will do next.

With a heavy breath Maka knocks on the door. She takes a step back looking anywhere except the door. She looks to the side looking up and down the street she used to ride her bike along when she was younger. She could remember the days of hopscotch and the block parties under the blistering summer sun. Now as an adult living on the east coast where she sees all four seasons than just one, she missed the carefree atmosphere that Death City had. She missed the small town friendliness and she missed some of the people she used to know. There was no answer at the door so Maka knocks again this time a bit more loudly that it hurts her knuckles after the third knock. She shakes out the hand not caring to move back a step this time. There was no answer.

She turns around, this time she decides to walk around the back knowing where her mother had kept the spare key. She came familiar with the hiding place from all the sneaking out and sneaking in for parties her friends had somehow persuaded her to go to in high school. She knew personally that her mother wouldn't have minded her going out and socialising and really just being a teenager, but she wanted to do the cliché sneaking out even though her mother always knew where she was that night. Probably that stupid statue has a video camera in his spear, or that big mask it wore that hid its face (if it had one that is), or something. You never know when it came to Kami Albarn.

Maka could hear the faint sound of her mother's records playing in the backyard and the soft laughter of not just her mother but a male's too. Maka raised an eyebrow moving a bit faster to the gate that kept the front and the back separate. She opened the old gate that squeaked as she pushed it aside. Her suitcase made a smacking noise as it hit the post of the fence as she moved into the spacious backyard where the music continued to play but the laughter halted. Maka would never make a good spy, or ninja she had the gracefulness of a cow, not the quietest animal in the barn. Her black floppy hat hid some parts of her small heart shaped face as she moved from the side of the house to the almost center of the yard. There was a gasp that sounded like her mother's and a cough from a male's throat. Maka turned to the voices to see her mother standing on the edge of a small porch with what looked like a cocktail and a boy with a nail gun fixing up the porch. They both seemed to be frozen looking at her as she places her large red handheld suitcase down and takes off her sunglasses. "I home for the holidays," she says trying to muster up a smile but only managed a fake one.

Her mother lets out a breath raising a hand to her mouth still gaping in shock. "Maka, you're so… different?" Maka didn't know if to take it as a complement or an insult. She looked down at the male who was also gaping at her with his nail gun placed on the unfinished porch; his hair stark white and his eyes garnet roaming over her more developed but not fully figure. Maka knew this man to well; she mustered a glare as her mother finally hugged her.

Her mother held her tightly almost stopping her daughter's breathing but not fully, she wasn't that strong. She pushed Maka back, still keeping her hands on Maka's slim shoulders taking in her daughter's appearance. "You look so mature, it's like you are no longer my baby. You're a grown woman." Kami almost cried. Maka weakly smiled at the older woman. Her mother had changed from the years she was gone. Her matching blonde hair had gotten greyer and wrinkles now are imprinted into what was once youthful skin. Her mother had mature double the amount Maka had, which was surprising since her mother thought maturing was for the old and Kami was never going to be old. Maka guessed she finally let that silly, childish idea out of her head. "I can't believe that my Maka is so beautiful." Kami takes her into another smothering hug. Maka awkwardly pats her mom's back not really liking all the physical contact since she had been sitting most of the day.

She had to be stuck in a taxi to get to the Lt. Warren Eaton Airport for her flight for Las Vegas, and then the flight was delayed by an hour. After getting to the McCarran International Airport, she then hailed a cab which she is now a pro at from living in the big apple, then drove an almost two hour drive to Death City. She was in no mood for being hugged, but put up with it since it was her mother who hadn't seen her for a long time and only had the pleasure of hearing Maka's voice.

Her mother let go after a while to sit on the edge of the porch where the man Maka knows sat looking at his handy work. He slowly stood up and brushed off imaginary dust off his jeans. His eyes looking anywhere except Maka which she didn't mind at all, she was still pissed at him. "Soul hasn't Maka gotten so gorgeous?" her mother asked the man. He coughed in surprised and Maka scoffed, it was always like Kami to get someone off guard. He was now forced to look at Maka and notice the slight changes time had done to her. He lingered looking at her eyes before snapping his gaze back at Kami.

"I guess she has Ms. Albarn," Soul replies. Kami smiles up at him. Even though Maka's mother had divorced her father Kame kept the surname Albarn wanting to share to same name as her daughter. It was odd but it just made sense for Kami, so Maka never questioned it. "She finally ain't tiny tits," he snickers. Maka held back a growl and replaced it with another glare as she walked up to her mom with her suitcase.

"If you don't mind I think I'm going to settle in, the heat and a newly formed headache is making me tired." Maka excused herself knocking into Soul's shoulder as she made her way into the house. She could feel Soul's heated gaze linger on her back, but she didn't check to make sure it was. She didn't want to look like she will forgive him so easily. He was one reason she was debating if she should just send her mom a plane ticket to go to her place for Christmas.

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Her room was on the second floor which meant passing the statue sitting on the landing between the two floors. She had realised that her mom had kept the thing and it was still as creepy as before (maybe less than when she was younger). The mask of straw looked mad and the spears were defiantly a health hazard now realising how she could have hurt herself as a young child. No wonder she was scared of it. She passes it making her way to her room. Her door was still a dusty pink that she had since she was six. A foam princess crown basically marked it as a girls room. Maka sighs opening the door to the dusty pink room full of memories and books galore. She throws her suitcase on her twin sized bed covered in pillows. She moves to the window, opening the curtains getting a clear look of the backyard where Soul was now talking to her mom in a heated conversation. Her mother looked a bit sad and Soul, Maka couldn't read what expression he wore on his face. He was never an open book that was easy for her to read. He was complicated, all boys were.

She lost interest of the silent scene below her and decided to open her suitcase to pull out a few things. Her purse that was still on her elbow being carried like it was a designer bag, which it was. It was a gift from her first client for winning the case. It was a beautiful Prada bag that Maka would have never splurge on but was happy to get as a thank you gift. She placed it on her desk that faced the wall where the window was. A poster of a boy band she liked during middle school plastered in front of it almost like a shrine. She was embarrassed that she even liked that band in the first place, but she was young and innocent with no good taste in music. She sighed opening her suitcase to begin unloading.

After everything was neatly stored away she collapsed on her bed with a giant 'oof'. She didn't care for the odd noise she made or the way her dress moved up higher on her thighs. She was alone in her room and all she needed was a power nap before her mother begins with the questions. She had to be prepared.

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There was a knock on her door which made her stir. She opened one eye seeing that it had gotten darker and it wasn't because the lights were off. No, the sun was setting which meant she slept longer than she originally planned. She sat stretching before opening the door to see her mom. "I thought you would be hungry," her mom said smiling. Maka rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Sorry if I woke you."

"Oh, don't worry about that mom. I slept too long anyways," Maka reassures her. Kami smiles and moves out of the way for Maka to get out.

It was silent. Her mom watching her as Maka took a bowl from the cupboard and began to pour some of the soup into her bowl. Maka didn't try to start small talk still waking up and Kami wasn't trying either. But it was comfortable silence like nothing had happened in the past eight years. A moment later her mom opened her mouth to speak then shut her mouth deciding it wasn't worth it. Maka didn't take mind to it; she probably wanted to ask about something personal about life in New York then notice that it crossed a line. Oddly her mother's questions always crossed the line and she never really thought before she asked anything to Maka. Maka was her daughter and Kami was the mother, she was more then allowed to ask more sensitive questions. Maka guessed that this time it was something too personal or something not worth asking out loud without Maka storming out in a rampage.

"So Maka," her mother finally speaks, "I thought by now you would be bringing over a boy for Christmas." Of course her mother would bring up boys. Maka doesn't look at her mom as she takes a spoon out of a drawer.

"Romance is a little difficult when I'm starting out in my career." Maka turns around as she speaks. Her spoon already lifting warm tomato soup up to Maka's still moving lips. "Also why would I bring one here? Don't get me wrong Death City is nice, but I wouldn't be bringing a boy from New York to a hot desert city in the middle of nowhere."

"Still doesn't mean you don't need one. I'm not getting younger and I really do want some little feet running around my home."

"Running around in here? Mom, there are spears and strange pointy dangerous things in this house. I was lucky I didn't get hurt as a kid."

Kami rolls her eyes. "It isn't that dangerous. You're being quite dramatic Maka, dear." Here she goes with the _dear_. She only uses that word when she thinks she won the argument and was ready to start a new subject. "Then if you don't have anyone in your life—"

"Who says I don't?" Maka interrupts.

"Well let's say you don't, why not try talking to Soul again?" Maka groans out as her mom talks. "Listen Maka, he really has regretted how everything ended. He's been over here every day asking about you and helping me out. He's really a sweetie, just give him another chance."

"Another chance?" Maka almost screeches. "I gave him a whole month, _mother_! I gave him an entire month to think about going to a university in New York, I even said if he wanted me to I would go to school in state! But it was him who didn't give me a chance! He said… he said he didn't want me holding him back and vice versa! He didn't want either of us being held back from our potential! And guess what, he was right for once!" Maka places her bowl down in front of her mom. By this point Maka was taking in deep long breaths trying to calm down the pit of anger that was ready to erupt.

"All you should of said was, 'no thanks, mom'." Kami mumbles. Maka's eyes move from the table to glare at her mother's matching green eyes. There was a moment of elongated silence before Maka picks up her bowl and turns to leave the kitchen.

She shouts over her shoulder, "I'm eating in my room, night!" It was cold the way she left her mother sitting at the breakfast bar, and it was wrong for Maka to be so melodramatic but her mom didn't know how much it hurt her daughter when Soul broke up with her. It was painful. Too painful for her to even think about dating again, it was her foolishness that she fell too far…

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It was morning in the Albarn house, actually it was almost noon. Maka was sitting at her desk with her laptop open. She was busy emailing her boss about any work she could be doing during the holiday since she would rather not sit around with her mom defending Soul all day. Soul, he seems to be around the house a lot lately, it had been two days since her arrival and at ten o'clock every morning Soul was over to keep building (or finish Maka should say) the porch. Maka would wake up with the loud clanging of a nail gun and her mother asking if he needed anything almost every ten minutes.

After pressing send she walked over to her opened window. She peered down at Soul who was taking a break for a sip of coffee her mother must have gotten him only moments ago. His gaze drifted up to her window a smirk pulled on a corner of his lips. He raises a hand giving Maka a wave, she replied by slamming her window shut and storming down to the kitchen for some coffee of her own.

"You should have warned me that he was here. If I knew I would have booked a hotel room." Maka tells her mom who was handing her a mug of coffee.

"Well I didn't know you were coming home a week before Christmas. If I knew I would—"

"You wouldn't. You were practically advertising that Soul was single like a big fat highway sign. I think I'll just chill at a hotel for a while then when Soul leaves after finishing your porch I'll come back." Maka decided, but her mom didn't look like she was happy with the idea. She looked at her daughter sitting on the counter crook between the bar and where the cupboards started.

"I don't like that idea. I rather you are here with me. Can't you just ignore Soul for the few days he will be here, for me?" Kami bats her eyelashes. Maka sighs knowing full well she lost. She was stuck in a house where Soul had full range of bugging her. "Thank you, now I gotta go and get some stuff for cookies so. Be good, and try not to kill Soul."

Maka rolls her eyes as her mom kisses the top of her head and leaves the kitchen. Maka takes a long sip of coffee letting the caffeine buzz through her system. This might be a hard day, but she could easily just leave the house and see some old friends or something. As long as she isn't in the house where Soul was only three feet away she would be fine.

**Did you like it? Yeah I know I left it awkward but that's how I like it! See you around… I mean type to you soon. 'Cause I can't really see through a screen to someone else screen that would be very rude and strange… Gosh I really should edit this author note before publishing it, but what the hay I can't just pretend that I'm a normal human being. **

**Type to you later my internet buddies!  
~8emmy**


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